Dirt bike walkie-talkies are an essential part of every dirt biker’s gear because whether you’re with a group looking for new adventures or a solo rider cruising along the dirt roads, they will help you keep track of where everyone is, share the fun, and most importantly, stay safe.
The best dirt bike walkie-talkies are usually rather small but durable, they can also be used while wearing gloves, and no need for any external buttons or wirings. Radios with a range of 1-2 miles usually work well in most trail riding conditions with a riding group, however, back-to-camp calls generally require more range.
Considering how many types of radios and walkie-talkies there are, we wanted to help you understand the benefits of using these radios, and the different types to help you find exactly what you need.
Benefits of Dirt Bike Walkie-Talkies
When you’re on a trail riding, adventure riding, or anything in between, enjoying the sights and views is always gonna be your top priority. Taking these experiences means that you’re not gonna be able to use your phone as the cellular connection is going to be almost non-existent. This is why walkie-talkies and radios create an easy and portable means of enjoying your time in the most convenient way.
They Help Organize Large Group Rides
No two people are exactly the same, with differences in speed preference or skill level. Radios help guarantee constant communication between group members wherever they are by notifying riders about dangers or crossings along the road and ensuring the group is able to follow the same track. They also minimize the number of stops along the way by not having to stop and wait for lost riders, in short, it helps make the riding experience much smoother.
They Keep You Safe when Riding Solo
Although we don’t recommend riding alone, walkie-talkies are essential when riding solo as they help maintain a communication channel between the rider and the camp. If you ever suffer an injury, get lost, or just simply have technical issues on the road, walkie-talkies are often lifesavers, establishing a lifeline between you and your friends, and most importantly building a safety net overall.
Assisting Coaching & Teaching Situations
2-way radios and walkie-talkies can help in many coaching and teaching scenarios. If you’re helping a friend or loved one learn how to ride a dirt bike, a radio can help tremendously in giving tips over the roaring sound of running engines and isolated helmets.
Choosing What Fits Your Needs & Ride
What works in your day-to-day isn’t necessarily going to work when you’re trail riding, which is why the best choice is based on what you’re going to use it for. Once that choice is settled, focus on the size, weight, and convenience that suits your needs and riding style.
There are two main categories to choose from; you can choose a handheld dirt bike radio that you can strap into your gear or a headset walkie-talkie that you attach to your biking helmet.
Handheld Radios
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Don’t need to install | Lack of good hands-free options |
| Provide multiple mounting options | |
| Don’t get snagged as there are no wires or modules | |
| Have plenty of accessories available | |
| Affordable |
Helmet Installed Radios
For more of a hands-free option, helmet-installed radios are a good choice. There are many similar options in the street riding world, with some models that are installed directly to the side of the helmet and include a speaker as well as a microphone that is installed directly inside the helmet or an external microphone and speaker that are either wired or connected via Bluetooth.
We discovered that most of these speakers are uncomfortable in the long term. Enduro helmets are generally light, narrow, and heavily padded on the inside. The speakers and microphone inside the helmet can apply unwanted pressure around your ears & cheeks and quickly become uncomfortable.
It’s recommended to use radios with a standard headphone jack option and Bluetooth, then test your helmet speaker’s configurations and choose the microphone options that best fit your helmet model. Small, smartphone-style headphones will probably work just as well.
Push-to-Talk or Speech Recognition Options
You can also try different styles of speech recognition-enabled radios or add a handlebar-mounted push-button option to begin talking. Most speech recognition radios will turn on when riding and revving the dirt bike or by breathing heavily inside the helmet. This could quickly start to become annoying for anyone on the receiving end of this enduro radio, however.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Push-to-talk and speech recognition features | Wiring can get easily snagged and break |
| Speakers inside the helmet are louder and can be heard while riding | Modules outside the helmet can snag on branches, pulling on your helmet and causing serious injuries or crashes |
| Plenty of accessories available | Higher prices |
| Can simultaneously listen to music while riding | Speakers inside the helmet can be uncomfortable |
| More options in terms of range | The low range for Bluetooth-only models |
What to Generally Lookout For
Having some key features in mind while choosing your preferred radios is important, here are some factors to take into consideration.
Range
What are you mainly going to be using the radio for; Are you riding solo and need the radio to carry back to camp? Do you often ride in the mountains or on a track around your backyard? One thing is for sure, whichever radio you choose needs to be suitable for every condition.
Generally, the one-mile range models can easily be a quarter mile on the trails where you actually need it to carry the signal and operate. If you’re mainly going to use it to communicate with riders in the group, radios that work well in about 0.5 miles to 1 mile on the trail are good. This is usually plenty for most scenarios when you plan to ride or need to group up with lost friends.
Weatherproofing
Riding enduro often means that dirt, dust, mud, and water can affect you, this also applies to radios, so you want to consider how durable the radio is when selecting your walkie-talkie.
For accessibility and ease of use, the enduro radio is usually uncovered and exposed to the weather. Also, take into consideration the waterproofed models and find the ideal way to protect your radio if you plan to use it year-round, especially if used in harsh conditions.
Range
Always bear in mind that a radio you can easily use with gloves on, mount on your bike, and take with you anywhere is the one you’ll be using the most. This is why accessibility & ease of use are important factors to consider. Any model that fits these criteria will make your riding experience that much easier and avoid any unnecessary inconvenience.
In Conclusion,
Using a walkie-talkie or a radio on a ride is useful more often than you think, and while some might prefer the handheld models and others might choose the helmet-installed options, it all depends on what you need and what fits your own preferences. Look up reviews, ask around, and try them out to see what fits your style.
Whatever you choose, keep the signal open and ride on!
